Folks, it’s almost that time.

Movin’ On will announce its 2026 lineup at 1 p.m. on Friday at the HUB before the performers take the stage at the IM Fields on May 1.

So, some of our staffers made their picks for who their ideal headliner would be.

Ally Eaton: Sam Fender

My hopes are high for this year’s Movin’ On headliner, and Sam Fender has been in my daily rotation. With upbeat hits known by many, and some other tunes still to be discovered, Fender would be a huge hit in State College. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even get a surprise Olivia Dean performance out of it for “Rein Me In.”

Michael Siroty: Noah Kahan

Is it a reach? Yeah. Do I care? Nah.

Noah Kahan is so good and would totally fit the vibe of Movin’ On. It doesn’t matter to me that the guy almost won Best New Artist at the Grammys a couple of years ago. Nobody’s too cool to perform at Penn State’s IM Fields.

Maggie Alderisio: The Backseat Lovers

Please, SPA, make my dreams come true.

Jessica Farhat: Olivia Dean

I think Olivia Dean would be the perfect Movin’ On headliner this year. Her music is easy-going, and such a good festival vibe. It’s the best way to end the show and a long year of classes.

Julia Romankow: Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson would be the perfect opener for this year’s Movin’ On.  Her 2025 album “Midnight Sun” completely embodies the essence of summer. The album features a high-energy song of the same name, which became extremely popular on social media after its release last summer, with over 100 million streams on Spotify. Larsson has other popular hits, like “Symphony” or “Lush Life”. In all of her performances, she completely captivates the audience with not only her vocal talent, but also her dancing and outfits alike. I believe that her energy and discography make her the perfect candidate to send the students off for the summer.

Nathaniel Yerage: Westside Gunn

This may seem random, but look at the facts. Last year, we were blessed with the former president of G.O.O.D. Music himself, Pusha T. A man who once did an entire performance with a projection of a YouTube tutorial for making crack cocaine. Before that, we got Freddie Gibbs, whose seminal album, Pinata, was originally called “Cocaine Pinata”. The next logical step, in my opinion, would be to invite the zenith of all coke rap, the King of New York himself, the FlyGod, to our wonderful campus. Asking for the entire Griselda trio may be too much, so I won’t push my luck, but I truly hope the FlyGod hears my prayers before my last year on campus. To hear those infamous adlibs mere days before my graduation would honestly mean more to me than the diploma itself. Movin’ On, you have your assignment.

Melanie Thalhimer: Ocean Alley

My Movin’ On pick is Ocean Alley. This Aussie-based band is perfect for a warm May day, as their music always reminds me of surfing at the beach. The band also has the perfect hit to play, “Confidence,” that went viral on TikTok last summer. Overall, Ocean Alley headlining at Movin’ On would be a great way to start up the summer season at Penn State!

Kayla Wakeley: Kaytranada

Seeing Kaytranada perform would actually be everything. I saw him when he opened up for The Weeknd during his After Hours tour in 2021, and I think he’d be perfect! His sets are unreal, and the energy would be insane.

Ella Cofone: Creed

My Movin’ On pick is Creed because I need to be able to see them in real life. Everyone knows Creed and their songs; they’re played at every single event and all sports warmups. Plus, that would be just the right level of meme-worthy but also fun.

Jacob Zacharia: Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow just dropped an album, and he’s about to head on tour. He was here a few years ago— why not run it back, and end the year strong? He’s an entertainer and a big headliner who would bring out a giant crowd in State College. And the cherry on top, I’m sure Druski would love to check out Champs, too.

Jack Anderson-Jussen: Luke Bryan

I think my head would literally explode. Please.